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Colorado to Washington, DC: Advocating for the Environment
October 24, 2012 by Jennifer Brandt
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The Hispanic Access Foundation and Environmental Learning for Kids took over 60 youth, including a majority of Latinos, to Colorado’s Browns Canyon in July 2012. The trip inspired many of the students to take action. In September 2012, eleven of the Denver-area high schoolers traveled to Washington, DC to meet with their elected officials, including Sen. Mark Udall and Sen. Michael Bennet, the director of the National Park Service, representatives from the Department of Interior, White House officials and others. This video documents their journey.
HAF Announces the winner of the Houston New Futuro Laptop Contest!
October 24, 2012 by Jennifer Brandt
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Hispanic Access Foundation is announcing the winner of the Houston New Futuro Laptop Photo Contest!
The winner is Liliana Lizeth Ibarra.
How did she win? Liliana went to the New Futuro College Summit at the Reliant Center in Houston on October 6th. She found the Hispanic Access Foundation booth and had her photo taken by one of our photographers. She followed the instructions that were emailed to her and her photo on Facebook received the most likes, 633, of all the participants from the Houston conference.
A little about Liliana: she is originally from Mexico but has been living in Cypress, Texas for 4 years. Her first choice of school is Texas A&M. She’d like to study to become a veterinarian.
Her mom found out about the New Futuro event on television and brought Liliana and her brother. Liliana’s brother was the one who encouraged her to enter the laptop contest. She says that now that she’s won, she won’t have to use his laptop anymore.
Hispanic Access Foundation will be giving away 3 more laptops, one winner will be chosen from each of the following events:
New York – The Apex at Lehman College- October 20, 2012
Miami- Miami Dade County Fair & Expo – October 27, 2012
Chicago- Navy Pier Exhibition Hall – November 10,2012
You must attend one of these events to be eligible to win a laptop.
Why is Hispanic Access Foundation participating in the New Futuro college prep fairs? Hispanic Access Foundation knows that for families a college education is very important but that Hispanics are still not graduating from college at the rates this country needs for its economic future and prosperity.
How else is Hispanic Access Foundation participating?
- Executive Director Maite Arce is serving as an expert panelist on a televised Spanish-language discussion with parents and students regarding meaningful access to college
- HAF Board Member, Marta Sanchez and HAF team member Liz Neuenschwander are giving presentations to parents and students titled, “Family Involvement in Education” and “Pathway to College.”
- H&R Block is sponsoring Hispanic Access’ involvement in the New Futuro events, so to find us follow the signs for the H&R Block booths and workshops.
The Most Valuable Gift, Naturally
October 17, 2012 by Jennifer Brandt
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By Javier Sierra
The most valuable gift we can give our children and grandchildren does not come with a price tag. Its value is so hard to calculate, we would run out of zeros to determine it.
An entire generation offers this legacy, from the richest to the poorest. It’s called Nature (with capital n), the synonym of life, health and happiness. And all —young and old— must be aware of its vital importance.
And that’s precisely what 60 Latino kids did this summer during a weekend at Browns Canyon, CO: explore and enjoy one of the most beautiful places in the great American West.
Organized and funded by Hispanic Access Foundation and Environmental Learning for Kids, the outing included camping overnight and white-water rafting on the Arkansas River.
“It was so exciting,” says Jennie Hurrieta, a Denver high school senior who took the trip down Class 3 rapids along with several friends. “First, I was very scared, but now I’m happy that I did it. Now I love white-water rafting.”
“The trip down was my favorite moment,” says Itzel Saenz, an 18-year-old student at Red Rocks Community College in Denver. “I had never done it before. I also enjoyed how to set up a tent.”
The students and their families enjoyed this experience surrounded by amazing biodiversity and natural beauty. Being in contact with the outdoors and spending the night with only the stars as your roof sooth the spirit and cleanse the soul.
In fact, students who get in touch with nature do better in school. According to a California state survey conducted among mostly Latino students, outdoors education programs increase math and science scores by 27 percent.
Indeed, study after study confirms that outdoors experiences are particularly close to the heart of the Latino community.
According to a Colorado College conducted in Western states, 75 percent of Latinos favor the establishment of more national parks and national monuments. Also, 78 percent agreed we can build a robust economy at the same time we protect nature.
Moreover, a national Latino poll conducted by the Sierra Club and NCLR revealed that 92 percent of us agree that protecting God’s Creation is a moral responsibility.
“We take the mountains for granted because they are always there,” says Jennie. “But we never really realize how beautiful they are until we go out there and experience it up close and personal.”
But so much beauty could not always be there. Browns Canyon is threatened on several fronts. The construction of roads and other infrastructure has increased erosion an, the bald eagle, the mountain lion and many more.d destroyed some vital areas of this ecosystem. Also, this pressure has endangered several species, such as the peregrine falcon.
This degradation is having consequences for communities close to the canyon as they are experiencing draught because of the lower levels of underground water.
“We learned a lot about water and the scarcity of it,” says Itzel. “The main priority right now is to save water. We also were told to be very careful with fires, never to start a fire near a tree.”
Browns Canyon and so many other natural wonders could disappear unless we all contribute to their preservation. The students learned that President Obama has the power to make sure this legacy will be enjoyed by future generations by designating them as national monuments.
And this month, several participants, including Jennie and Itzel, traveled to Washington, DC, and visited the White House to promote the natural treasures that belong to us all. And happily, their visit coincided with the designation of another gorgeous Colorado place, Chimney Canyon, as a national monument.
The reward is indeed priceless.
Javier Sierra writes about national Latino issues.
Announcing the winner of the Los Angeles New Futuro Laptop Photo Contest!
October 16, 2012 by Jennifer Brandt
Hispanic Access Foundation is announcing the winner of the Los Angeles New Futuro Laptop Photo Contest!
The winner is Shelem Celis.
How did she win? Shelem went to the New Futuro College Summit at the Pasadena Convention Center in Los Angles on September 29th. She found the Hispanic Access Foundation booth and had her photo taken by one of our photographers. She followed the instructions that were emailed to her and her photo on Facebook received the most likes, 1,022, of all the participants from the Los Angeles conference.
A little about Shelem: she is from Lomita, CA. Her first choice of school is Oberlin College in Ohio because they have a college of science and also have a conservatory for music. She’d like to take classes in music while pursuing a major in Pediatric Neuroscience.
Her parents both went to college in Col0mbia. When Shelem visited Colombia this past Summer she met a handicapped student from a poor family. She vowed that if she won the laptop from HAF she would ship it to him because he is in greater need of it than she is.
Hispanic Access Foundation will be giving away 4 more laptops, one winner will be chosen from each of the following events:
Houston- Reliant Park- October 6, 2012
New York – The Apex at Lehman College- October 20, 2012
Miami- Miami Dade County Fair & Expo – October 27, 2012
Chicago- Navy Pier Exhibition Hall – November 10,2012
You must attend one of these events to be eligible to win a laptop.
Why is Hispanic Access Foundation participating in the New Futuro college prep fairs? Hispanic Access Foundation knows that for families a college education is very important but that Hispanics are still not graduating from college at the rates this country needs for its economic future and prosperity.
How else is Hispanic Access Foundation participating?
- Executive Director Maite Arce is serving as an expert panelist on a televised Spanish-language discussion with parents and students regarding meaningful access to college
- HAF Board Member, Marta Sanchez and HAF team member Liz Neuenschwander are giving presentations to parents and students titled, “Family Involvement in Education” and “Pathway to College.”
- H&R Block is sponsoring Hispanic Access’ involvement in the New Futuro events, so to find us follow the signs for the H&R Block booths and workshops.
Teen Driver Safety Week: Five Strategies to Teach Your Teen about the Risks of the Road
October 16, 2012 by Jennifer Brandt
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Parents know that teenagers have a lot to teach us. Many parents can send text messages, check email on our cell phones or use a MP3 device because of our teens.
Teen Driver Safety Week, held from October 14-20, is our turn to return the favor.
During this week, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) encourages parents to teach teens ways that they can be safer drivers.
For Hispanic parents, this event is particularly important, as car crashes are the leading cause of death for Hispanic teens.
Luckily, that’s a statistic you can change. Here are five strategies to help your teen understand the risks of the road and think twice before driving distracted:
1. Set a Good Example: If you’re telling your teen to follow safe driving behaviors, so should you. That means always wearing your seat belt, keeping your cell phone in your glove compartment and avoiding other distractions when you drive.
2. Create and Enforce Driving Rules: Discuss what it means to be a safe driver with your teen and set rules for when they’re behind the wheel. The rules should also have consequences that are enforced. For example, if your daughter drives without a seat belt, she can’t attend her friend’s Quinceañera.
3. Avoid Adding Temptation: Staying in touch with your teen is important, but remember that your call, email or text message can be a distraction. In fact, drivers who use hand-held devices are four times more likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves. Don’t take that risk. Avoid reaching out to your teen when they’re on the road.
4. Learn the Traffic Safety Laws in Your State: Many states have Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) laws that ban young drivers from using cell phones and texting while driving. Make sure your teen driver understands that violating these laws may mean having a delayed or suspended license.
5. Take a Pledge Together: Print or cut out the pledge form below and have every member of your family commit to driving safe. Sharing and keeping this pledge together is also a great example to set for younger children.
Whatever strategy you take, remember that the educating your teen about driving laws and risks will give them the information they need to be safer on the road.
To learn more, please visit www.distraction.gov.
